West Texas earthquake causes damage hundreds of miles away
November 18, 2022
This May 24, 2021 photo shows the Robert B. Green hospital building, Bexar county’s original hospital that has been standing for more than 100 years, in San Antonio. A strong earthquake that struck a remote area of the West Texas desert on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, caused damage in San Antonio, hundreds of miles from the epicenter, officials said. University Health said Thursday, Nov. 17, that the historical building was deemed unsafe because of damage sustained from the quake. (Kin Man Hui/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)This May 24, 2021 photo shows a historical marker on the corner of the old Robert B. Green Hospital building, Bexar county’s original hospital that has been standing for more than 100 years, in San Antonio. A strong earthquake that struck a remote area of the West Texas desert on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, caused damage in San Antonio, hundreds of miles from the epicenter, officials said. University Health said Thursday, Nov. 17, that the historical building was deemed unsafe because of damage sustained from the quake. (Kin Man Hui/The San Antonio Express-News via AP) ASSOCIATED PRESS
University Health said Thursday that its Robert B. Green historical building was deemed unsafe because of damage sustained from the quake, which hit Wednesday in a remote area near the New Mexico border. The historical building is more than 100 years old and has been closed off for safety reasons, University Health said.
The quake initially had a 5.3 magnitude but that was revised upward to 5.4. The earthquake’s epicenter was about 23 miles (37 kilometers) south of Mentone, a tiny community about 350 miles (560 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio.
It was one of the strongest earthquakes on record in Texas and hit in an area known for oil and gas production. On Thursday, the state’s Railroad Commission — which regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry — sent inspectors to the site to determine whether any actions were needed.
Earthquakes in the south-central United States have been linked to oil and gas production, particularly the underground injection of wastewater. The U.S. Geological Survey said research suggests that a 5.0 magnitude quake that struck the same West Texas area in 2020 was the result of a large increase of wastewater injection in the region.
In neighboring Oklahoma, thousands of earthquakes of varying magnitudes have been recorded in the past decade, leading state regulators to direct producers to close some injection wells.
With all he’s accomplished, why is President Joe Biden so unpopular?
Herald-Leader Readers – November 18, 2022
Mario Tama/TNS
Republican plans
Following the election, I find myself wondering why people vote Republican. President Joe Biden has a favorable approval rating of only about 45 percent. What has he done to alienate 55 percent of the voters? Was it the big push on Covid vaccines that resulted in 250 million Americans getting vaccinated? Was it the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will refurbish and rebuild the nation’s roads, bridges, and water systems? Was it the Inflation Reduction Act, which will lower costs for families, combat the climate crisis, reduce the deficit, and ask the largest corporations to pay their fair share of taxes? Or perhaps it was his legislation that allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices with big Pharma and insure that no family spends more than $35 per month for insulin.
What are the Republicans plans? Well, we know they plan to increase the retirement age for social security and Medicare to 70 and to reduce benefits. We hear that they are planning to cut military aid to Ukraine. And they want to repeal Biden’s legislation on drug price negotiations and insulin cost caps. On the other hand, they plan to reduce taxes for the rich and for wealthy corporations yet again.
Hakeem Jeffries: The Democrat who could replace Nancy Pelosi
Sam Cabral – BBC News, Washington – November 18, 2022
Hakeem Jeffries
US lawmaker Hakeem Jeffries has formally launched a bid to succeed Nancy Pelosi as the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives.
The New York congressman, 52, has served in the fifth-highest rank of Democratic leadership since 2019.
If Mr Jeffries ascends to the top spot, held by Mrs Pelosi for two decades, he will be the first black person to lead a party in the US Congress.
But he would be minority leader, and not the speaker.
Republicans regained a slim majority in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress, in last week’s midterm elections.
California Republican Kevin McCarthy, who currently serves as minority leader, has been nominated as the party’s choice to be House speaker.
In a letter on Friday, Mr Jeffries asked his Democratic colleagues for their support “as we once again prepare to meet the moment”.
All eyes were on Mrs Pelosi, 82, a day earlier, as she took to the chamber floor to announce her retirement.
“The hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus,” she said.
The move appeared to be co-ordinated with Mrs Pelosi’s top two deputies – Steny Hoyer, 83, and Jim Clyburn, 82 – who quickly followed suit by releasing statements on their future plans.
Both men offered endorsements for Mr Jeffries, with Mr Clyburn writing that his focus was “doing whatever I can to assist our new generation of Democratic Leaders, which I hope to be Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar”.
Congresswoman Katherine Clark, 59, of Massachusetts is tipped to run for the post of whip, the number two Democratic leadership job. Pete Aguilar, 43, of California, currently vice-chairman of the caucus, is being talked about as successor to Mr Jeffries for caucus chairman.
Mr Jeffries, for his part, quickly lauded Mrs Pelosi as “the most accomplished Speaker in American history”, writing that she had been “the steady hand on the gavel during some of the most turbulent times the nation has ever confronted”.
The leadership shuffle may help quell complaints from some Democratic voters that their party’s leaders are too old.
Congresswoman Katherine Clark joined Congress in 2013
But the trio of young up-and-comers is closely aligned with the party’s establishment wing, and Mr Jeffries in particular has been known to clash on occasion with his party’s left flank.
A lawyer who was born and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York, he has represented the state’s eighth congressional district in the House since 2013.
He once paid tribute on the House floor to rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who was born as Christopher Wallace in Mr Jeffries’ district and gunned down in Los Angeles in 1997.
On the 20th anniversary of his death, the congressman said that the hip hop artist represented “the classic embodiment of the American Dream” and rapped some lyrics from his 1994 hit single Juicy.
In 2020, Mr Jeffries served as one of seven Democratic managers at President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial.
With Democrats retaining power in the upper chamber of Congress, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer is likely to remain at his post. That could mean the Democratic leaders in both chambers of Congress will hail from the state of New York.
Katie Porter wins re-election in California after days of counting
Rebecca Shabad and David K. Li –November 18, 2022
Graeme Sloan
WASHINGTON — Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., the whiteboard-wielding lawmaker and progressive star, won her re-election race, NBC News projected on Friday.
After days of vote counting, Porter staved off a challenge from former state Assemblyman Scott Baugh, a Republican, to win a third term in Congress.
President Joe Biden called Porter on Wednesday night to congratulate her on the victory.
Porter, 48, is best known for viral videos of her sharp questioning of witnesses testifying before Congress. The former law school professor often used a dry-erase board to list user-friendly facts and figures to make her point.
She has served in the House since 2019, representing the 45th Congressional District, and is deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
In the 2022 midterm election cycle, Porter raised more than $23 million compared to Baugh, who raised more than $2 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Baugh, 60, served as an assemblyman in California’s Legislature from 1995 to 2000. During his last year in the statehouse, he was the assembly’s GOP leader. More recently, Baugh was chairman of the Orange County Republican Party, from 2004 to 2015.
The 47th Congressional District in coastal Orange County between Long Beach and San Clemente was once been dominated by Republicans but now is more mixed.
The race for the new 47th Congressional District seat had been listed as a “toss up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Arizona county board delays certifying election results
Bob Christie – November 18, 2022
FILE – Maricopa County, Ariz., ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninjas, in Phoenix on May 6, 2021. At least one recount will be on tap in Arizona after the counting from the Nov. 8, 2022, midterm elections ends. Once Arizona’s counties certify their results in the coming days as scheduled, a recount will be triggered in at least one statewide race. (AP Photo/Matt York, Pool, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
PHOENIX (AP) — The board overseeing a southeastern Arizona county whose Republican leaders had hoped to recount all Election Day ballots on Friday delayed certifying the results of last week’s vote after hearing from a trio of conspiracy theorists who alleged that counting machines were not certified.
The three men, or some combination of them, have filed at least four cases raising similar claims before the Arizona Supreme Court since 2021 seeking to have the state’s 2020 election results thrown out. The court has dismissed all of them for lack of evidence, waiting too long after the election was certified or asking for relief that could not be granted, in increasingly harsh language.
But Tom Rice, Brian Steiner and Daniel Wood managed to persuade the two Republicans who control the Cochise County board of supervisors that their claims were valid enough for them to delay the certification until a Nov. 28 deadline.
They claimed the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission allowed certifications for testing companies to lapse, and that voided the certifications of vote tabulation equipment used across the state.
That came despite testimony from the state’s elections director that the machines and the testing company were indeed certified.
“The equipment used in Cochise County is properly certified under both federal and state laws and requirements,” state Elections Director Kori Lorick told the board. “The claims that the SLI testing labs were not properly accredited are false.”
The move is the latest drama in the Republican-heavy county in recent weeks, which started when GOP board members Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd voted to have all the ballots in last week’s election counted by hand to determine if the machine counts were accurate.
Crosby also defended a lawsuit he and Judd filed against the county elections director earlier this week seeking to force the hand-count. They dropped the case against Lisa Marra on Wednesday.
“If our presenters’ request is met by the proof that our machines are indeed legally and lawfully accredited, then indeed we should accept the results,” Crosby said. “However, if the machines have not been lawfully certificated, then the converse is also true. We cannot verify this election now.”
Crosby and Judd then voted to delay certification, with Crosby saying he believed Wood, Steiner and Rice needed to be provided proof since they were “the experts.”
Democratic Supervisor Ann English was powerless to overrule them.
The delay potentially jeopardizes state certification, set for Dec. 5, and at least one statewide recount.
Lorick issued a statement after the vote vowing legal action to force the board to accept the results. Under Arizona law the formal election canvass can’t be changed by the elected county boards — their only role is to accept the numbers as they are tallied by their elections departments.
“If they fail to do so, the Secretary (of State) will use all available legal remedies to compel compliance with Arizona law and protect Cochise County voters’ rights to have their votes counted,” Lorick said.
All 15 Arizona counties face the same Nov. 28 deadline, but there is no sign others are considering similar defiance.
Once the state certifies the results Dec. 5, there will be a recount in at least one statewide race.
That contest, between Republican Abraham Hamadeh and Democrat Kris Mayes for attorney general, is so close that a recount is certain. As of Friday night, Mayes was less than 600 votes ahead with fewer ballots remaining to be counted than the margin for a mandatory recount, which will be about 12,500 votes.
“It’s going to be close, and every vote matters,” Mayes said in a brief interview. “And obviously we’re headed into a recount, one way or another.”
One other statewide race also is within the margin for a recount, but incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman conceded to Republican Tom Horne on Thursday. Horne is a former schools chief who served two years as attorney general before losing the 2014 primary. He was more than 9,000 votes ahead on Friday.
Horne criticized Hoffman for embracing progressive teaching and promised to shut down any hint of “critical race theory,” which is not taught in state schools but is a hot-button issue for social conservatives.
Judd had said Wednesday she would move to clear the way for the state recount.
“We’ve had to step back from everything we were trying to do and say, OK, we’ve got to let this play out,” Judd told The Associated Press. “Because it’s the last thing we want to do to get in (Marra’s) way.”
There has been no evidence of widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines in 2020 or during this year’s midterm elections.
Arizona recount laws were changed this year. The previous margin for a mandatory recount was 1/10 of 1%. It is now 0.5%.
This story was first published on November 18, 2022. It was updated on November 19, 2022 to correct the spelling of the name of the Democratic attorney general candidate to Kris Mayes.
Julia Brownley wins House race as lead grows to nearly double digits; Jacobs concedes
Tom Kisken, Ventura County Star – November 17, 2022
U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley has won a sixth term in Congress.
The Democrat from Westlake Village declared victory in her race on Saturday and Republican challenger Matt Jacobs conceded on Tuesday. Election updates two days later left Brownley with 54% of the votes to 46% for Jacobs.
U.S. Rep. Julia Brownly has won a sixth term in Congress. Here, she’s shown the day after the election at a dedication ceremony of the new Veterans Affairs clinic in Ventura.
Districtwide, Brownley received 117,609 votes as of the latest tally. Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor who lives in Westlake Village, had 100,018 votes.
“I am humbled and honored by the voters’ decision to elect me once again to represent our community in Congress,” she said in a victory statement issued Saturday after CNN, NBC and ABC declared her the winner. Several hours later, the Associated Press also called Brownley the winner.
“This was a race about values, about the economy and the economic prosperity of America’s working families and about our future,” she said.
Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor making his first race for office, conceded late Tuesday afternoon.
“The election was fair, the result is legitimate and I sincerely wish Congresswoman Brownley and her family all the best, both personally and as our representative in Congress,” he said in a written statement that also expressed pride in his campaign.
Julia Brownley and Matt Jacobs
Election officials estimated about 79,000 votes are still to be processed across Ventura County though some are from outside of the district, which does not include Ventura and Ojai. It’s unclear how many ballots are still to be counted in the small part of the district in Los Angeles County.
In her victory statement and in her campaign, Brownley focused on abortion rights.
“While the Republican party focused solely on inflation with no plan to address it, they failed to understand that protecting a woman’s right to choose is not only a moral issue but an economic one,” she said.
The race was one of several being tracked nationally as Republicans and Democrats vied for control of the House. The contest gained more attention immediately before the election amid a flurry of fundraising and reports of polls showing a tight race.
Redistricting brought all of more conservative Simi Valley into the 26th but Democrats still accounted for 43% of the registered voters across the district as of late October, compared to 28% for Republicans
Red tide update: State report shows toxic algae levels from Sarasota south to Marco Island
Chad Gillis, Fort Myers News-Press – November 17, 2022
Scientists are saying a red tide bloom that’s lingered along the coast for a few weeks is now being fed by nutrients running off the landscape in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
Red tide (Karenia brevis) is a naturally occurring organism in the Gulf of Mexico that sometimes blooms to toxic levels.
But research shows that nutrients from farm fields, lawns and septic tanks fuel red tide blooms close to shore — making them more frequent, longer-lasting and more intense.
“I don’t see any good evidence that hurricanes initiate a red tide, but once you have a red tide started, runoff will make it worse,” said Larry Brand, a water quality expert, scientist and professor at the University of Miami.
Ian didn’t create the conditions for the original bloom; but rain water and storm surge has helped fuel the bloom, which now stretches from the Sarasota area south to Marco Island.
Counts of 1 million cells per liter and higher have been reported at multiple locations along the Southwest Florida coast.
Dead fish litter many beaches in the region, and the Florida Department of Health in Collier County issued an exposure advisory Wednesday.
DOH agrees with Brand, that nutrients flowing off the landscape contribute to the intensity and duration of the bloom.
Thousands of dead fish line the high tide line at Cayo Costa State Park on Nov. 14, 2022. Red tide has moved into Lee County waters in recent weeks.
“Once inshore, these opportunistic organisms can use nearshore nutrient sources to fuel their growth,” a Wednesday DOH press release reads. “Blooms typically last into winter or spring, but in some cases, can endure for more than one year.”
What should Southwest Florida residents do?
DOH says people who live along the coast should even check their air conditioning filters.
“Residents living in beach areas are advised to close windows and run the air conditioner, making sure that the A/C filter is maintained according to manufacturer’s specifications,” DOH says. “If outdoors near an affected location, residents may choose to wear masks, especially if onshore winds are blowing.”
Carly Jones, spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — the state agency charged with monitoring red tide, said offshore winds can help push the contaminated waters and the microscopic algae away from the coast.
The latest FWC report show the strongest red tide counts have been found in northern Lee and Sarasota counties.
“Some people experience respiratory irritation (coughing, sneezing, tearing and an itchy throat) when the red tide organism is present and winds blow onshore,” Jones wrote in an email to The News-Press. “Offshore winds usually keep respiratory effects experienced by those on the shore to a minimum. The Florida Department of Health advises people with severe or chronic respiratory conditions, such as emphysema or asthma, to avoid red tide areas.”
Red tide can contaminate shellfish, and the DOH recommends against collecting and eating shellfish from this region at this time.
Locally caught, properly cleaned and cooked fish can be eaten, the press release says.
DOH recommends washing yourself and all clothing if you make contact with waters containing the toxic algae.
Hurricane Irma also stirred nutrients in toxic algae bloom in 2017
Calusa Waterkeeper John Cassani has been monitoring the bloom online.
“I’m hearing people aren’t seeing as many gamefish species as compared to (Hurricane) Irma (2017),” Cassani said. “It’s mostly foraging fish but most are decayed to the point you can’t determine the species.”
Hurricane Irma stirred up nutrients in the Lake Okeechobee/Caloosahatchee River system five years ago, and the following summer was virtually lost to a massive red tide and blue-green algae bloom in the river.
Lee County was part of a state of emergency for both blooms.
Some scientists have speculated that Hurricane Ian’s aftermath will cause similar conditions between now and the spring of 2024.
The Hurricane Irma-fed red tide lasted from the fall of 2017 until the spring of 2019.
“It’s a neurotoxin,” Cassani said. “There are neurological symptoms that have been defined in response for red tide. And people with asthma are showing up in emergency rooms. There’s an influx often during a bloom. It’s an unregulated contaminant.”
Red tide worsens and spreads to Tampa Bay. Dead fish found on Anna Maria Island
Ryan Ballogg – November 16, 2022
A red tide bloom has worsened in Southwest Florida waters this week, the latest samples from the state show.
The algae that causes red tide, Karenia brevis, was observed at elevated levels in Tampa Bay, around Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and in Sarasota Bay. Dead fish and breathing irritation have been reported on local beaches.
The bloom remains most intense further south offshore of Sarasota, Charlotte and Lee counties, according to samples from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission.
On Monday, a very low concentration of red tide algae was detected in a water sample near the Rod and Reel Pier in Anna Maria —down from medium levels last week— and a medium concentration was again found in waters near Longboat Pass in Bradenton Beach.
University of South Florida’s red tide for predicts that very low levels of the algae will continue to circulate around Anna Maria Island through this weekend. At very low levels, respiratory irritation is possible.
USF predicts that low to medium levels of the algae will circulate around Longboat Key, with high levels persisting farther south in Sarasota Bay.
At levels of medium and above, which are considered “bloom concentrations” of the algae, respiratory irritation and fish kills are likely.
Slight breathing irritation and a few dead fish were reported on Anna Maria Island beaches this week, Mote Marine Laboratory’s red tide beach conditions report said. To the south, moderate breathing irritation and numerous dead fish were observed on several Sarasota County beaches.
Red tide’s patchy nature means that even beaches in close proximity can have very different conditions. Respiratory irritation and dead fish can also become more or less present as wind directions and tides change.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts the respiratory threat from red tide. On Wednesday, NOAA warned that beachgoers in Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties could experience moderate to high levels of respiratory irritation over the next 36 hours.
On Monday, the Florida Department of Health Manatee County issued a red tide health alert for the following beaches:
Bayfront Park
Coquina Beach South
Longboat Pass/Coquina Boat Ramp
Rod and Reel Pier (City of Anna Maria Island)
FDOH-Manatee offers the following red tide safety tips:
Look for informational signage posted at most beaches.
Stay away from the water.
Do not swim in waters with dead fish.
Those with chronic respiratory problems should be especially cautious and stay away from these locations as red tide can affect your breathing.
Do not harvest or eat molluscan shellfish or distressed or dead fish from these locations. If caught live and healthy, finfish are safe to eat as long as they are filleted and the guts are discarded. Rinse fillets with tap or bottled water.
Wash your skin and clothing with soap and fresh water if you have had recent contact with red tide.
Keep pets and livestock away and out of the water, sea foam and dead sea life. If your pet swims in waters with red tide, wash your pet as soon as possible.
Residents living in beach areas are advised to close windows and run the air conditioner, making sure that the A/C filter is maintained according to manufacturer’s specifications.
If outdoors near an affected location, residents may choose to wear masks, especially if onshore winds are blowing.
Global population passes 8 billion, says UN amid concerns of impact on climate crisis
Sravasti Dasgupta – November 15, 2022
The world population has crossed eight billion, the United Nations said on Tuesday as it warned of the impact of climate change and resource scarcity.
John Wilmoth, director of the UN’s population division said that reaching eight billion people is “a sign of human success, but it’s also a great risk for our future”.
According to a statement by the UN, the global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950.
UN projections suggest that the global population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.
It is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.
The figures were earlier released by the UN in a report ahead of World Population Day in July.
“China and India, with more than 1.4 billion each, accounted for most of the population in these two regions,” the report said.
“India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023,” it added.
Despite the global population increasing, experts say that the growth rate has fallen steadily to less than 1 per cent per year.
“A big part of this story is that this era of rapid population growth that the world has known for centuries is coming to an end,” Mr Wilmoth said.
Experts have warned that the rising population combined with the impact of climate change will adversely affect vulnerable nations and people.
Deborah Balk, a demographic researcher at the City University of New York, said: “African cities will, on average, grow.”
Ms Balk said that this will leave millions more urban dwellers exposed to climate threats such as rising seas.
Analysts warn that there will also be resource scarcity with the population rise.
“Every single person needs fuel, wood, water, and a place to call home,” said Stephanie Feldstein, population and sustainability director at Center for Biological Diversity.
UN officials have also said that rising population is likely to impact achieving sustainable development goals.
“The relationship between population growth and sustainable development is complex and multidimensional” said Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs in a statement.
“Rapid population growth makes eradicating poverty, combatting hunger and malnutrition, and increasing the coverage of health and education systems more difficult.
“Conversely, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially those related to health, education and gender equality, will contribute to reducing fertility levels and slowing global population growth.”
Lake had been hanging by a thread, but her chances of pulling off a victory against Democrat Katie Hobbs seem more like an illusion than a realistic possibility, given the number of remaining votes in key Maricopa County.
As of Monday night, she was losing by 20,481 votes – just under 1 percentage point. If the final margin is a half a percentage point or less, there would be an automatic recount. That would mean dragging out this whole drama for weeks.
But the voters who turned on Lake must pat themselves on the back. These voters are the defenders of democracy, who successfully built a wall to hold off the MAGA restrictionists’ scheme.
None of Lake’s or other MAGA claims are sticking
Kari Lake gives a press conference on the sidewalk outside of the Downtown Phoenix Post Office after casting her ballot on Nov. 8, 2022.
For days now, we’ve seen and heard voters’ powerful message. None of the MAGA candidates’ tantrums are sticking, and that’s a great thing.
On Election Day, they huffed and puffed over a computer glitch that affected some vote-counting machines. They screamed voter fraud.
That was a serious glitch, but it didn’t keep voters from casting their ballots. And so, it didn’t stick with Arizonans who are tired of hearing conspiracy theories and the lies of a stolen election.
Lake and other MAGA candidates later accused Maricopa County election officials of purposefully “dragging their feet” in counting votes – conveniently forgetting those overseeing the vote count are mostly Republicans merely following state law set by a Republican-controlled government.
That didn’t stick, either.
Cue Donald Trump. The former president was fuming to see that his hand-picked candidates, including Lake, were losing. Predictably, he fired off accusations of a stolen election.
That didn’t stick, either.
Their reaction is reassurance: You voted wisely
Over the weekend, some of Lake’s supporters called for military intervention because she’s losing.
“We the people are requesting the military to step in and redo our election,” a protester outside the Maricopa County ballot counting center said.
I kid you not. Lake’s supporters want the U.S. military to take over elections and presumably make sure she wins.
Don’t dismay, though. That call isn’t sticking, either.
If anything, those few protesters calling for military intervention make Lake look like a dictator wanna be – reassuring the Arizona voters who rejected her of their decision.
The slow vote count was exasperating, but that also gave us – the people – a real sense of normalcy.
There was actual excitement and gasps with every vote count revealed. That’s because we, the people, were hungry for mutual respect at the ballot box.
Elvia Díaz is the editorial page editor for The Republic and azcentral.
